Insider Information: The employee discount

Upon learning Target had hired me, I immediately wondered, "How much of a discount will I get?" I had previously worked at Dunkin' Donuts, where employees got 50-percent-off everything, and free coffee, bagels, and donuts while working. My short time as a salesgirl at Express got me a 20-percent-off discount, except on my first purchase of up to $300, which was 50-percent-off. (I spent more than I earned while I worked there.)

So, I eagerly anticipated some kind of glorious Target discount. It disappointed me, then, to learn that employees receive only a 10-percent discount there. This shaves off sales tax, but not much else.

However, the discount came in handy when I spent about $100 on odds and ends for my first apartment. Also, the discount could be combined with other discounts. A coworker of mine opened a Target card before a big purchase - which gets you 15-percent-off - then used his employee discount to secure 25-percent off an expensive item. That's pretty good!

The moral of the story: Don't work at Target for the discount. Work at Target because there's no place else you'd rather be.